Baba Siddiqui
– Photo: Amar Ujala
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At the age of just 10, he was a hawker in Kolkata. He used to shout, “Brother, get the lock key made.” Who knew that he would become the father of not a hawker but a celebrity. Whose childhood was spent hawking in narrow streets. He will prove to be the mine of Kohinoor in the coming days. About 60 years ago, Kolkata was the easiest city to get employment in Bihar. That boy from Manjha Sheikh Toli of Gopalganj district did not feel like living in Kolkata and after a year or two he moved towards the financial capital Mumbai. We are talking about Abdul Rahim Siddiqui, father of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui, who was shot by criminals. In Mumbai, Abdul Rahim got the support of his distant relative Asrar Siddiqui. Started living with a room in Santacruz. After doing hawking for a few days, he opened a shop by the name of “Red Watch and Radio Repairing House”. Age does not stand still. been married. A Kohinoor was born in the courtyard of that Rahim. Abdul Rahim named his Kohinoor Baba Siddiqui.
used to sell Chinese fast food
Baba Siddiqui had come to his village Manjha in Gopalganj district in 2018. While coming to Manjha, while discussing with Vijay Tiwari, resident of Gopalganj, Baba Siddiqui told some things of his old days. Vijay Tiwari tells the same things that ever since Baba Siddiqui was born, Rahim’s shop started functioning. When Baba Siddiqui was barely four years old, his father Rahim got his own house of 550 square feet in Bandra West. The same Bandra, where the entire Bollywood resides. Salman, Shahrukh, Aamir, many heroes, heroines, producers etc. live here. Gradually Baba Siddiqui also became wise. Along with studies, he started helping his father in his business. After helping his father in his business for a few days, Baba also started running his own Chinese fast food stall. He also passed his matriculation exam while selling Chinese fast food on the roadside. But Baba had some other dream in his mind. Intermediate started in the year 1977.
Became MLA from Bandra East thrice
After enrolling in college, he joined the student organization NSUI and took the first step towards politics. Came into the race for president in the year 1980. But, did not get success. After this he formed his own personal organization named Baba Siddiqui. Who started working in the entire Maharashtra in the interest of students. Through this organization, Baba would contest student union elections in various colleges of Maharashtra and make his supporting students win. The result was that Baba’s political roots began to deepen in Maharashtra. On the strength of his hard work, Baba Siddiqui became the General Secretary of Mumbai Youth Congress. Then he came in contact with film actor and Congress leader Sunil Dutt. After that, Baba Siddiqui did not look back and became MLA from Bandra East of Mumbai thrice and during this time he was made Minister of State.
Baba had written- My childhood is connected with Gopalganj.
Baba Siddiqui spent the first five years of his life in Sheikh Toli village of Gopalganj. Baba Siddiqui, who came to Gopalganj in 2018, met old friends and family members of his village. Education related materials were also distributed in a program organized in a government school here. Baba Siddiqui had also written on his Facebook that my childhood is associated with Gopalganj and I have come here after a long time. The family of Baba Siddiqui’s cousin Mohammad Jalaluddin still lives in this village. Baba Siddiqui had made a Facebook post on 26 June 2020, in which he had told about his relationship with Manjha city of Gopalganj. While sharing his memories, he wrote that my father was born in Manjha and many of my childhood memories connect me with this city. Baba Siddiqui had made important contributions to the development of the cricket academy and cricket field in Gopalganj. Be it matters related to education or development of cricket, he always helped the players of Gopalganj. Today there is silence in Sheikh Toli village after receiving the news of his murder.
